Subtle, Amazing Chipilin Tamales

Near the cashier at La Adelita, RicRios found something utterly surprising—tray of tamales de chipilin. These are rare, rare, rare, and RicRios is joyous to have discovered these babies.

Chipilin is a pungent chile, with a deep, herbaceous tone. It grows wild in desert climates. It’s not cultivated on a large scale, so it’s rather hard to find—it’s a small market and home garden sort of thing.

In these tamales, with chicken-broth-laden masa, meat filling, and the amazing flavor of chipilin, the result is “spec-tacular,” says RicRios. “Refined, subtle, a-mazing.”